Hitler's Hollywood

Show Times

Fri, May 11th 2:00pm

Fri, May 11th 8:15pm

Sat, May 12th 2:00pm

Sun, May 13th 5:00pm

Mon, May 14th 8:15pm

Tue, May 15th 6:00pm

Wed, May 16th 8:15pm

Thu, May 17th 6:00pm

Thu, May 17th 8:00pm

First Chicago run!

"The first thing to say about HITLER'S HOLLYWOOD is: it's quite a show--a cavalcade of images, icons and ideas that, while less innovative, are every bit as eye-popping in their own way as THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, NOSFERATU, and METROPOLIS are in theirs." - Godfrey Cheshire, RogerEbert.com

"A compelling cinematic essay that should be essential viewing for cinephiles and history buffs alike." - Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter

Historian/filmmaker Suchsland, who surveyed Weimar-era cinema in FROM CALIGARI TO HITLER (2014), continues his journey through German film history with this fascinating exploration of its darkest, most problematic period. Closely overseen by propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi film industry sought to become a second Hollywood - with state-of-the-art technology, a flourishing star system, and sophisticated marketing techniques aimed at a mass audience. Very few of the 1,000+ Nazi-produced films were overt propaganda, but, as Suchsland notes, almost none could be considered harmless entertainment, as they instilled state-supported values of duty, sacrifice, prejudice, and anti-individualism. With beautifully preserved excerpts, many in sumptuous color, the film revisits the Nazi cinema's great stars, its lavish blockbusters, and its now-obscure gems, such as the musical comedy WE MAKE MUSIC ("delightful, Lubitsch-like"), the proto-feminist BIG CITY MELODY, and the missing-person mystery COVERED TRACKS ("a great film noir"). In English and German with English subtitles. DCP digital. (MR)